


‘You can’t keep DOING that!’

by InkJackets



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Best Friends, Friendship, Gen, Identity Reveal, One Shot, Short One Shot, Swearing, he just wants to keep his friends safe, nino has the biggest heart okay?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:21:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24390484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkJackets/pseuds/InkJackets
Summary: Nino reprimands Adrien for being so self-sacrificial as Chat Noir.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 8
Kudos: 78





	‘You can’t keep DOING that!’

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this in response to [this post](https://bugaboo-n-bananoir.tumblr.com/post/617075792017571840/as-a-nice-change-of-pace-itd-be-interesting-to) by [bugaboo-n-bananoir](https://bugaboo-n-bananoir.tumblr.com) over on [tumblr](https://inkjackets.tumblr.com/post/617226381101760512/as-a-nice-change-of-pace-itd-be-interesting-to) a few weeks ago and people seemed to really like it (like way more than i was expecting!!) so i thought id stick it here too!

Adrien yelped as he was shoved back against his locker by none other than his best friend, Nino Lahiffe.

Adrien opened his mouth wordlessly at the fire and anger in his friend’s eyes.

‘Dude, what are you-’

‘WHAT THE _F*CK_ MAN!’ Nino yelled over him. Adrien stared in shocked silence. ‘You can’t keep _doing_ that!’ Pain bled into his words as he lowered his voice. ‘Do you have any idea how scared I was?’

Adrien’s eye’s flicked to the eavesdropping students who all suddenly averted their gazes and pretended not to be listening.

He then pushed Nino off of him, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him from the room before throwing him into an empty classroom and closing the door.

‘What’s going on?’ Adrien asked, bewildered, as he turned back to his friend. ‘What are you talking about?’

Nino looked at him helplessly. ‘You can’t… you can’t…’

And Adrien’s shoulders sank. _Can’t keep running towards akuma’s?_ he thought gloomily. _Yeah, not much I can do about-_

‘You can’t keep taking the hits for Ladybug!’ Nino burst out.

Adrien froze. ‘Wait. _What?’_

‘I… I was there when you…’ Nino trailed off, ‘in this morning’s akuma attack…’

Adrien stared, stunned. 

‘Wait, wait, wait,’ he forced a grin despite the panic shooting through his body, ‘You think I’m Chat Noir?’ He crossed his arms to hide their shaking and made a bemused expression, praying Nino couldn’t hear his racing heart.

But his grin faltered when Nino didn’t smile.

‘Dude, I’m your best bud,’ he said quietly. ‘I _know_ you’re Chat Noir.’

The smile slid off of Adrien’s face and morphed into one of touched surprise.

‘And I know you know who I am too,’ Nino continued.

Adrien blinked. He looked closely at his friend; at his glasses, at his small smile, at that determined look in his golden eyes…

Adrien swore quietly. ‘Are you really?’

Nino nodded. ‘And I had it, man!’ he said, voice filling with distress. ‘I was about to cast Shell-ter to protect us all. But then you had to jump out of range and take a hit you didn’t even need to take in the first place!’

Adrien unwound at his friend’s words, but then his heart filled with pain.

‘I was just thinking about LB,’ Adrien said truthfully, gazing down and scuffing the floor with his shoe. ‘We can’t afford to lose her. If we do, we lose everything.’ He looked up. ‘Besides, she’s used to it. It’s how we work.’

‘Used to it, my ass,’ Nino muttered. ‘You didn’t see her expression after you _literally died_.’

Adrien shrugged. ‘If it means saving her so she can purify the akuma, then I’m not gonna stop doing it.’

‘No, dude, you don’t get it! It’s not just the two of you anymore. You’ve got a whole team now, and it’s _my_ job to protect _you_.’ He said, poking himself first and then jabbing Adrien in the chest. ‘It’s literally in my job description! Your job, however, is to stay by Ladybug’s side and defeat the akuma.’ He put his hand on Adrien’s shoulder and shook him. ‘She needs you, man.’

‘But-’ Adrien began.

‘NO BUTS!’ Nino exclaimed.

Adrien gave him an exasperated look, ‘Nino-’ 

_‘NO!’_ Nino yelled, incredulous at Adrien’s persistence. ‘This isn’t up for debate! From now on, _I_ do the protecting, and _you_ stay by Ladybug’s side. Got it?’

Adrien opened, but then slowly closed his mouth. Emotion welled in his heart at the fervent gaze Nino was giving him; the fire in his friend’s eyes warmed him from the inside.

‘Thank you,’ he said quietly.

Nino chuckled. ‘You’re an idiot, you know that?’

Adrien smiled and gave a hapless shrug, and then gasped in surprise when Nino pulled him in and held him tight.

‘Love you, man,’ Nino said.

Adrien smiled and returned the hug. 

‘Love you too.’


End file.
